How the Trump Administration’s account of the submarine strike just came out

The US in early September strikes on a Venezuelan medicine boat – – head Salvo in long-term reeds – has drawn new scrutiny in recent days, such as the White House – limited that the ship was hit twice.

The confirmation followed a Washington Post report that the first boat had been hit a second time, killing the survivors – stopping calls for an investigation and Concerns in Congress That the follow-up strike may constitute a war crime. The Pentagon manual on the law of war states that combatants who are ‘wounded, sick, or shipwrecked’ are no longer threatened and are no longer under attack.

The Trump administration has defended the series of boats, casting them as a necessary tactic to end the flow of narcotics from South America. But U.S. officials did not provide any evidence that the ships were being drugged or threatened by lawmakers from both parties who have questioned the unity of the strikes.

Here’s what we know about the September 2 Strike and what the administration said:

September 2: Trump says the military “shot the boat”

President Trump announces to the authorities during a September 2 event That the US had literally fired “from Venezuela” did not say it was carrying drugs earlier in the day.

In social media posts later that day, Mr Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio described the attack in more detail, referring to it as a single strike.

The president said in a social statement that the strike killed 11 suspected members of the Tren de Aragua, a Venezuelan tourist group whose administration designated it as a terrorist group earlier this year. Mr Trump posted a 29-second video showing him hitting one on a boat.

Mr Trump said the boat went to the US, but Rubio said later in the day that the drugs were “going to Trinidad or another country in the Caribbean.”

The next day, Rubio said he “went, finally, to the United States.”

September 3: Hegseth says he “watched life”

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is pushing Venezuela’s official claim that the video of the Fup strike may be. 2 may have been a lie, he told the “fox and friends” the next morning: “We were watching you live right on the boat.”

September 4: THE REAL AND LAST US ‘US’ AND “TRAINING

Asked by CBS News what legal authorities the Pentagon has identified to attack the boat, Hegseth says: “We have absolute and absolute moral authority.” He called the importation of drugs into the US “Ask the American people.”

Separately, the White House told Congress on September 4 that it believed the strike was “consistent with [the president’s] “Commitment to protect Americans and the United States’ overseas interests for the United States’ security and foreign policy objectives,” according to the announcement. discovered later on CBS News.

September 11: The boat is suspected of capsizing

The New York Times and CBS News to make a report The boat appeared to capsize when hit. A source familiar with the matter told CBS News that people on the boat saw the warplane facing backwards before the US hit back before the US hit the ground.

White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly said: “The president is acting in accordance with the laws of armed conflict to protect our country from those who are trying to bring poison to our shores.”

September 15: Another boat is hit

Mr. Trump he announces another strike against a drug-carrying boat in the Caribbean, killing three terrorists “.”

The administration later said the US was engaged in a “non-arms-length” conflict with drug cartels in a message that would send Sepress graduates. watched by CBS News. It is said that these three people were killed in the second strike “unlawful fighting.”

Overall, the US has attacked More than 20 boats Between the beginning of September and mid-November, more than 80 people died.

Oct. 16: Key key announces retirement

Hegseth he announces That ad. Alvin Holsey will retire as our Southern Commander at the end of the year. Holsey was one year into his conversion to preside over the district where the boat went on. Normally, military commanders serve for an average of three years.

Separately, CBS news corn that two people survived a strike on a boat in the Caribbean on Oct. 16. Mr. Trump later said The survivors would be repatriated in their native countries. Both, from Ecuador and Colombia, they were sent back Within days of the strike.

Nov. 28: The report says that the first strike left survivors who were killed in the second attack

The Washington Post reports that the September strike left two survivors, who clung to a boat wreck before dying next. The post reported that a second strike was being carried out because the hegseth ordered everyone to be killed.

Hegs called the reporting “designed, inflammatory and disrespectful.”

“The purpose used is to stop deadly drugs, destroy narco-boats, and kill narco-terrorists who poison the American people,” wrote X. “Every smuggler We are killing a terrorist organization.”

He also defended the unity of the law.

In response, the top Republican and Democrat on the Senate Armed Services Committee said in a joint statement on November 28 that they would conduct “vigorous oversight to find the facts related to these circumstances.” Similarly, the leaders of the House Services Committee issued a statement promising to raise the full amount of money for the operation.

Nov. 30: Senator says it could rise “to the level of war crimes”

Democratic Sen. Tim Kaine of Virginia said “Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan” that the next strike “reportedly escalated to a war crime if true,” pointing to international and domestic laws on deadly attacks.

Rep. to say“Obviously, if that happens, that would be very bad, and I agree that … it would be an illegal act.”

Nov. 30: Trump responds

On Air Force One, the President tells reporters that he “wouldn’t want” a second strike on the boat.

He added that Hegseth said he was not suspended for the next strike, and “I believe him 100%.”

Dec. 1: Leavitt secures a second strike

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavett it confirms That there was a subsequent strike, but it was denied that it was done in Hegseth’s punishment. Adm. says. UMitch Bradley, oholele umyalo ohlanganisiwe okhethekile ngesikhathi sokuhlinzwa, wagunyazwa yi-HEGSHESHESHE UKUZEZA UKUZEZA.

The reporter asked Leavitt: “Does the management deny that the second strike happened, or did it happen and the management denied that Begseth Hegseth gave the order?”

He replied: “This ends up being true.”

Leavetve then read a prepared statement: “Secretary Trueli and Secretary Hegseth have made it clear that the narcoterrorist groups have chosen more in accordance with these kinetic incidents. He was destroyed and the threat to the United States of America was eliminated.”

Leviet later told CBB News Senior Bhite Paringlent Weigia Jiang that he would “deny” that Hegses ever said that everyone on the boat on September 2 should be killed.

Dec. 1: Senate Defense Services says it expects to receive all audio and video from Strikes

GOP Sen. Roger Wicker of Mississippi, the chairman of the Senate Services Committee, tells reporters that he spoke about Hegseth and the chairman of the Chiefs who joined the staff, and plans to talk to the Admiral who led the operation. He said Hegseth “showed” that “there was a second attack.”

But Wicker told reporters he had no knowledge of any survivors who may have been killed. He said he expects to get that information because “we’re going to get all the audio and all the video.”

Dec. 2: Hegseth says he did not watch the second strike and saw no survivors

During the Cabinet meeting, Hegseth tells reporters that he watched the first strike with the boat strike on September 2, but “he was going to my next meeting” before the boat was struck a second time.

Hegses said: “I watched the first strike live. “As you can imagine, at the War Department, we have a lot of things to do. So I’m not stuck with an hour, two hours, or whatever, where all the critical site exploits happen.”

He said he later learned that Bradley chose to ‘submerge the boat and remove the threat,’ which Hegseth said was the right decision.

Hegs also said he “didn’t personally see any survivors” following the first strike “because the thing caught fire,” calling the situation “the fog of war.”

At the time, Mr Trump said he was “not aware of a second strike” when asked about his comments at the weekend that he would not want another attack.

“For me, it was an attack. It was not one strike, two strikes, three strikes,” said the President.

Earlier in the meeting, Hegseth defended the administration’s strategy of strike ships, saying, “We just started hitting Norco boats and putting narco terrorists on the bottom of the ocean.”